ON STANDARDISATION AND VARIATION IN THE INTRODUCTORY FORMULAE OF NEO-ASSYRIAN LETTERS / ﻋﻦ ﺗﻮﺣﻴﺪ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﺎﻳﻴﺮ ﻭﺍﻹﺧﺘﻼﻓﺎﺕ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺼﻴﻎ ﺍﻹﺳﺘﻬﻼﻟﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﺮﺳﺎﺋﻞ ﺍﻵﺷﻮﺭﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﺠﺪﻳﺪﺓ

The introductory formulae of Neo-Assyrian letters sent to the king or a superior official during the eighth century B.C. attest to a highly standardised form of letter writing (especially in the address), proving scribal sensitivity to an established letter writing etiquette. The introductory formula reflects the office of the sender; exactly the same formula (including the greeting) may be used by successive officeholders. Yet these formulae are by no means entirely uniform. In particular, the presence or absence of a blessing may tell us about the sender's relationship with the Assyrian king. ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺤﻘﺒﺔ ﺍﻵﺷﻮﺭﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﺠﺪﻳﺪﺓ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺻﻴﻎ ﺇﺳﺘﻬﻼﻝ ﺍﻟﺮﺳﺎﺋﻞ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﺑﻌﺜﺖ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻚ ﺃﻭ ﻣﺴﺆﻭﻝ ﻛﺒﻴﺮ ﺧﻼﻝ ﺍﻟﻘﺮﻥ ﺍﻟﺜﺎﻣﻦ ﻗﺒﻞ ﺍﻟﻤﻴﻼﺩ ﺗﺸﻬﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻭﺟﻮﺩ ﺻﻴﻎ ﻣﻮﺣﺪﺓ ﺟﺪﺍﹰ ﻓﻲ ﻃﺮﻳﻘﺔ ﻛﺘﺎﺑﺔ ﺍﻟﺮﺳﺎﺋﻞ (ﺧﺼﻮﺻﺎﹰ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻌﻨﺎﻭﻳﻦ)، ﻣﻤﺎ ﻳﺜﺒﺖ ﺣﺴﺎﺳﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻜﺎﺗﺒﻴﻦ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﺰﺍﻣﻬﻢ ﺑﺼﻴﻎ ﻣﻌﺘﻤﺪﺓ ﻓﻲ ﺃﺳﻠﻮﺏ ﻛﺘﺎﺑﺔ ﺍﻟﺮﺳﺎﺋﻞ . ﺍﻟﺼﻴﻎ ﺍﻹﺳﺘﻬﻼﻟﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﺮﺳﺎﺋﻞ ﺗﻌﻜﺲ ﻣﻨﺰﻟﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻜﺘﺐ ﺍﻟﺬﻱ ﺑﻌﺚ ﺍﻟﺮﺳﺎﻟﺔ؛ ﺣﻴﺚ ﻳﻤﻜﻦ ﺍﺳﺘﺨﺪﺍﻡ ﻧﻔﺲ ﺍﻟﺼﻴﻐﺔ (ﺑﻤﺎ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﺘﺤﻴﺎﺕ) ﻣﻦ ﻗﺒﻞ ﻣﺴﺆﻭﻟﻴﻦ ﻣﺘﻌﺎﻗﺒﻴﻦ . ﻭﻟﻜﻦ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﺼﻴﻎ ﻟﻢ ﺗﻜﻦ ﻣﺘﺠﺎﻧﺴﺔ ﺗﻤﺎﻣﺎﹰ . ﺑﺼﻮﺭﺓ ﺧﺎﺻﺔ، ﻗﺪ ﻳﺸﻴﺮ ﺫﻛﺮ ﺃﻭ ﻋﺪﻡ ﺫﻛ ﺮﺍﻟﺘﺒﺮﻳﻜﺎﺕ ﺇﻟﻰ ﻋﻼﻗﺔ ﺍﻟﻜﺎﺗﺐ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻠﻚ ﺍﻵﺷﻮﺭﻱ .